Chapter 46 – Next Level

After Kang Jong-hak left, Se-min remained alone in the hospital room and watched television.

Foreign countries were also heavily covering South Korea’s missing gate chain, also known as the ‘Friday the 13th Incident.’ Foreign media sent praises for South Korea’s swift response.

In terms of the ratio of Raiders to national territory, South Korea was the best in the world.

It had also produced as many as five Black Marks.

Even the United States, a global superpower, could not keep up with South Korea in terms of gate response due to its vast territory.

Some channels that liked reactions from other countries introduced the responses of foreign media. Among them, there was Se-min’s appearance.

Along with the description ‘PLATINUM MARK RAIDER LEE SE-MIN,’ his figure was shown in a close-up.

Behind the screen, the opened shelter and the faces of people trembling in anxiety were captured.

If not for Se-min, a major disaster would have occurred.

The United States, which loved heroes, introduced Se-min’s sacrifice and the three Black Mark Raiders who appeared afterward.

Se-min rested his chin on his hand.

He tried to stiffen his expression and pretend to be fine, but the corners of his mouth crept up in a grin.

Because there was no one in the hospital room, he bowed his head and chuckled.

There is an expression called ‘national class.’

He rose to a national-class punch, no, a national-class swordsman while catching Kesia.

However, the medium broadcasting his face over there was none other than CNN. His face was made known to the global village. Thus, it was proper to call him ‘world class.’

Se-min cleared his throat and tried to prepare for interviews that might come in the future. Of course, he was a high school dropout, meaning a middle school graduate. His speaking skills had stopped a very long time ago.

“Um… thank you thank you… I’m Lee Se-min… thank you for everyone… I want to… save! Save people! I will be king of Raider… no, not king. Emperor!”

Se-min sighed after muttering English to himself.

“I guess I should attend an English academy or something.”

Suddenly, Seol Mu-jin appeared on the CNN screen. Even though it was right after finishing a raid, he had a calm complexion. He skillfully conducted an interview with the reporter.

His prejudice against Seol Mu-jin shattered into pieces.

He was quite old, and strictly speaking, closer to being pro-China. Thus, Se-min had an image that Seol Mu-jin would be ignorant of English, unless he was speaking Chinese flamboyantly.

He was not.

His pronunciation was so fluent and fast that if not for the subtitles below, he would not even have known what he was saying.

Furthermore, he even showed the wit to tell a joke in English, making the beautiful reporter laugh.

Se-min clenched his fists in anger.

He do can do it.

“Hey, a-are you a keyboard? Because you are my type! Hehehe!”

He threw a joke in English with all his heart. Probably, the announcer would also be unable to hold back and burst out laughing.

It was while Se-min was organizing his English interview repertoire alone in the hospital room.

“…”

He suddenly felt something.

It was the sound of a sigh.

He turned his gaze. An presence was felt outside the hospital room window.

“Who is it?”

The window opened, and two people came inside from the outside.

They must have intruded because they had business, but they did not say anything for a moment. They had ended up watching Se-min’s pitiful one-man show.

Se-min felt grateful for their consideration.

“Did… you still follow me around…?”

“…”

“Did you hear…?”

Cheong-myeong wore a pitiful expression toward him. The same went for the nameless man standing beside him. They forced themselves to show a face saying it was fine.

“Yeah…”

The 3 of them silent for a moment.

Se-min changed the channel to erase the awkwardness.

A middle-aged man with a serious face was explaining the rise and fall of stocks due to this incident. Looking at his expression, he must have lost some money. Thanks to that, his mind settled down.

Se-min changed the subject.

“Your clothes are dirty?”

“Well…”

Their attire was a mess.

It was stained with the blood and fluids of monsters.

They were not Raiders belonging to South Korea. Yet, the fact that their clothes were dirty meant they had voluntarily intervened in today’s incident.

“Good work.”

“I just hated the sight of those monsters.”

“Nice line. I’ll borrow it next time.”

Se-min chuckled.

Previously, he had thought they were just gangsters smuggling drugs into South Korea.

However, after having a conversation with Seol Mu-jin, he came to know that they also had some purpose. It was connected with the ‘black aura.’

It was the power that the demon who killed No Hak-jae had used.

In that context, the mastermind might not be the Triad, but rather the Raider Bureau.

Se-min decided to keep all possibilities open.

“You didn’t come to attack me while I’m weakened, right?”

“Do not insult us.”

“Right, what is the matter?”

Se-min had noticed the sign of Cheong-myeong tailing him. He was not clumsy like the guys in the past, and merely hovered in the far distance occasionally, so he had not paid much attention.

“You had noticed.”

Se-min shrugged his shoulders.

“During that time, we checked on you. After gathering information, we came to a conclusion.”

Cheong-myeong said something in Chinese to the man standing beside him. He answered briefly. Cheong-myeong caught his breath once and said to Se-min.

“I will tell you why we came to South Korea.”

It was a sudden statement.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“We concluded that you do not pose a threat to us.”

To them, Se-min was a sudden bolt from the blue.

Just as they were about to distribute Gift in earnest through Incheon, everything was dismantled by him.

So they needed to know more about him.

“At first, we thought the Raider Bureau of South Korea sent you.”

“Me?”

“So we kept watching you.”

Cheong-myeong took something out from his bosom.

It was blue powder, Gift.

“We intended to place South Korea’s major Raiders under our control with this.”

“With that?”

“If you keep using it, you will not be able to live without Gift.”

“They said it wasn’t addictive…”

“It is a lie. If taken for a long time, one becomes completely addicted.”

Se-min narrowed his eyes.

“Right, why?”

“The Raider Bureau is researching the power of monsters. If you undergo the procedure, the aura turns black, and you can use evil power.”

Black aura.

Everything was connected to that.

He had first gone to North Korea to learn of its existence, and met the black demon there. After returning to South Korea, he watched a video of the demon killing people through the Raider Bureau. Even Seol Mu-jin had mentioned it.

Now, these guys also said it was because of the black aura.

“Is that so dangerous?”

Se-min asked.

Those who want to use the black aura, and those who want to stop it.

Currently, Se-min was standing between them.

“It is power that came from the monsters. It makes humans identical to monsters. Already, not a few have been stained with black aura and fallen.”

“Fallen?”

“They are now enemies of humanity.”

The man who was quietly listening to the conversation of the two said something to Cheong-myeong. Cheong-myeong nodded.

“Seeing your actions today, we were certain that you would take a path different from the Raider Bureau. That is why we are telling you. The Raider Bureau did not change their path despite committing numerous mistakes.”

“Then why does the Raider Bureau persist in using that power they call dangerous?”

“They believe they can control that power.”

“And you think they cannot.”

“With that.”

“What is the Raider Bureau trying to do with that black aura? World domination?”

“South Korea…”

Cheong-myeong spoke with the man in Chinese again.

“Wants to protect humanity.”

It was not a story likely to come from his mouth, which had been criticizing the Raider Bureau until now.

The Raider Bureau wanted to use dangerous power to protect the Earth, and these guys wanted to prevent it because they thought it was dangerous.

In that case, one had to weigh how dangerous that aura was and whether the Earth was in enough danger to warrant risking it.

Se-min.

Recalled the scenery of the otherworld he had seen.

“For what purpose are you telling me?”

Seol Mu-jin was like that, and so were they.

Their attempts had turned into failures because of Se-min. They probably had intended to distribute Gift and keep Raiders under their control to pressure the Raider Bureau. This was because, in the end, the power sustaining the nation was the Raiders.

However, that plan was twisted from the start by Se-min.

Then, they told Se-min the truth they knew.

Why?

To Se-min’s question, Cheong-myeong said something else.

“We do not wish for South Korea’s Raider Bureau to fail.”

“What?”

“Conversely, we hope they succeed and truly block the monsters with that black aura. However, that is impossible. That is all. The ultimate goal is the same for us and them.”

To protect humanity from the monsters, and.

To win this war.

“That is the reason.”

Se-min understood everyone’s stance.

Se-min had seen many things in the otherworld.

The Raider Bureau wanted to fight by deploying even dangerous power so that Earth would not turn into the landscape of the otherworld, and these guys thought such attempts would bring about more dangerous results.

“I will tell you one last thing. No Hak-jae, who passed on martial arts to you, acted alone. Why do you think that was?”

“What?”

“Why was the shelter suddenly opened in the spot where you fought today?”

“Wait…”

“This is all.”

They opened the window just as they had first come.

Se-min wanted to grab them, but he could not stop them with his messy physical condition. Se-min just blankly watched them disappear beyond the window.

The Chinese side had conducted a thorough investigation of him. Knowing about No Hak-jae meant that they had also tracked his military service.

Their last words remained in his heart.

The shelter door opened suddenly.

The monster defense system was not loose enough to encounter an error.

Se-min’s face stiffened.

“Haa…”

He fell loosely onto the bed.

He had to recuperate for the time being. His fine meridians were heavily damaged. Although the fundamental framework was not injured, he still must not overdo it for a while.

Se-min felt the Tai Chi Wisdom flowing along his body groaning.

Se-min opened his cell phone and chewed over the information he had obtained today.

That Cheong-myeong delivered their information to him was probably because they believed they had grasped the human named Lee Se-min to that extent. The Raider Bureau would also be evaluating him in various ways because they did not know about him.

However, there was one thing that neither side knew.

And in truth, this one thing they did not know was everything to Se-min.

Although No Hak-jae had taught him many things, he was not Se-min’s true master.

The people who made a bottom-crawling trash into today’s Lee Se-min were right here.

Title: Big brothers and big sisters, I did it again today~!

Author: Raider Lee Se-min

Today, huh? I just, huh? unfolded a giant barrier and protected people from dying, eh? Hahaha. I am a person who learned from Big Brother Dokgo Cheonma, but these guys didn’t recognize me and attacked, so hahaha. People fell for me and are making a huge fuss calling me their fan, hahahaha.

In our world, if you mention Lee Se-min, even a passing child stops crying. Agreed? Totally agreed. Hahaha. It is thanks to you, big brothers and big sisters. Hahaha.

Se-min remembered the things he heard today.

What he had to do did not change.

Get stronger.

Then everything is resolved.

In the dark era where the monsters of the otherworld bared their teeth to kill humanity, powerful strength was soon the light.

While lying in the hospital, Se-min received visits from unexpected figures he had not anticipated.

It was a response different from when he hunted Kesia in the past.

First, it was Jang Geon of CCC.

“How about entering our company?”

He was a man called the action leader of CCC. Literally, he was not the president, but he directly took charge of most external or important matters.

This time, he appeared directly to recruit Se-min.

“I know you also have affection for your current company, but you are a Black Mark now.”

He proceeded with the conversation as if it were a foregone conclusion that Se-min was a Black Mark.

“Which means you need support and scheduling fit for that. Considering the scale of your company, I am sorry to say this, but do not waste your ability.”

“Yes…”

Jang Geon somehow looked serious about everything.

A serious big brother is the type Se-min finds most difficult to deal with.

“Perhaps others will also come to entice you, but do not forget that we are the best. Ju Ho-san is a clown, and Seol Mu-jin is an old man shut away tightly. Ryu Gwan-cheol? He is a decent person, but CCC is larger than Cheolmasa.”

“What about Peacemaker?”

“Oh Jeong-hui is the most insidious fellow, so do not get involved.”

Although they were like heaven to other people, the five Black Mark Raiders seemed to be merely unpleasant industry figures to Jang Geon at the same level.

Because his evaluation was interesting, Se-min asked more.

“Is there no gathering or something among Black Marks?”

“Gathering? There is no such thing. We met occasionally in the past when the old man of the Seol family was healthy, but lately, well, we just look at the news and think he is alive.”

“Who is the strongest?”

“I do not know. I am not just saying this, I truly do not know.”

“Then the weakest?”

“Now it will be you.”

“I am a Platinum Mark though.”

“You will wear it soon, so prepare to change your mark.”

There is no specific test for the Black Mark.

They are the best Raiders. The name is too heavy for anyone to evaluate. Thus, there were two ways to obtain the Black Mark.

To hunt a Black-grade monster alone, or to be promoted by obtaining the consent of all active Black Mark Raiders.

“What you have achieved is sufficient to be called a Black Mark. Not only your skill, but even your mindset.”

Jang Geon was a person who had beliefs as a Raider as much as he was serious.

And the second visitor appeared.

“What are you talking about like that?”

It was Oh Jeong-hui.

He opened the hospital room door, looked alternately at Jang Geon and Se-min, and pointed a finger as if understanding.

“Did you army boys get close already?”

Se-min protested.

“Please call me a discharged soldier. I sacrificed my youth for the motherland.”

“As expected, the mindset is different. This is what it means that one becomes a human after discharging from the army.”

“Service Creed!”

“Our Resolve!”

Jang Geon nodded greatly and responded. A sergeant and captain of South Korea’s army reserves exchanged comradeship through their eyes.

Because Oh Jeong-hui was a pure-blood Raider who had never even seen the army, he had no interest at all in what they were saying.

“Fine. That’s enough, Geon, did you also come to take this kid?”

“You too?”

“Yeah.”

Oh Jeong-hui made a finger heart to Se-min.

“Se-min. Shall we have fun together in our Peacemaker?”

Se-min felt momentarily enticed by that trendy hand gesture.

It was a fresh sensation he had not felt from any other Raiders.

Se-min tried to make a finger heart following him. It did not go well. Rather, his thumb curled beneath his index finger, becoming not a finger heart but an unspeakable swear gesture.

As Oh Jeong-hui’s face crumpled, Se-min quickly apologized.

“No, mistake, it is a mistake. I was also trying to make a finger heart…”

“You think you are all grown up now, eh?”

“I am a patient. Do not use aura. Wait.”

Jang Geon also shook his head this time.

“No matter how bad that fellow is, such swearing was too much.”

“I said it was not swearing.”

Se-min used both hands to make finger hearts to clear Oh Jeong-hui’s misunderstanding, then winked.

“It is my heart.”

Oh Jeong-hui’s face became more serious.

Se-min just gave up everything and stretched out on the bed.

“I am a patient. Do not bully me. I have no intention of changing companies.”

“The company you are in is completely terrible though?”

“That is a fact, so I have nothing to say.”

“And when you become a Black Mark, get along well with Seong-jun.”

“Yes?”

Because he suddenly mentioned Ahn Seong-jun’s name, Se-min looked at Oh Jeong-hui.

“Having a kid who wears a Black Mark at the same age by your side will give you motivation and make you work hard. Go shopping together, eat together, and go to cafes together.”

“There is no way that will happen.”

“Are you sulking because you were beaten when you were young?”

“No… someone might misunderstand if they hear that.”

Jang Geon looked at Se-min.

“Did you get beaten up when you were young?”

Se-min eventually picked up the telephone receiver.

“Please drive out all the visitors.”

[Yes?]

“Please send these people out.”

[That is…]

The hospital side would also be flustered.

Who could forcibly kick out Black Mark Raiders?

At that moment, the door opened and another visitor appeared.

“Is our cool Se-min okay?”

Yoo Sang-heun was entering while humming. And finding two people standing in front of Se-min, he tilted his head.

“Se-min is an outsider who doesn’t even have friends, who might you all be… ah?”

He stared at the two while placing the fruit basket, then froze.

No matter how much he was interested in soccer games rather than raids, as the president of a raid company, he could not fail to know the faces of these two.

Jang Geon, the action leader of CCC.

Oh Jeong-hui, the leader of Peacemaker.

Especially Oh Jeong-hui was a Black Mark Raider who did almost no public activities alongside Seol Mu-jin, so he was a figure whose face was not easy to see.

Two such individuals had gathered to visit Se-min in the hospital.

Yoo Sang-heun closed his eyes.

“Has the time come?”

The small bird that had flown into his bosom was now a proper adult, preparing to leave the nest.

Yoo Sang-heun spoke.

“Buyout.”

Yoo Sang-heun added with strong eyes that were not suppressed by the Black Mark Raiders.

“Suggest first.”

The first to react was Se-min.

“No, you are selling me off right now?”

“That is capitalism.”

“These people would literally…”

Jang Geon spoke.

It was a terribly large number.

Then, Oh Jeong-hui added 100 million won to it.

He was in the spirit of really buying him up.

“I say it again, you are a Black Mark now.”

Jang Geon had a serious face.

“You have become a Raider worthy of that. You are becoming South Korea’s sixth Black Mark.”

Jang Geon and Oh Jeong-hui said words enticing Se-min even after that, then left the hospital room telling him to take a rest.

“You are popular?”

“They say I am a Black Mark.”

“I saw.”

Yoo Sang-heun expressed that he saw.

Se-min could not feel it realistically, but the scene he showed while dealing with Black Castle was sufficient to be called a Black Mark.

Although he was not yet at the level of the five Black Mark Raiders, they were veterans who had fought for a long time even after reaching the Black Mark. They were skilled ones who had risen a step above the level usually called Black Mark.

In that respect, it was fine to say Se-min had entered the threshold of the Black Mark.

“Take a good rest. You will become busier now. Prospective Black Mark Lee Se-min.”

“…”

Se-min nodded.

“Then let’s eat Jjajangmyeon to celebrate.”

***

Besides them, various companies visited to recruit Se-min. Later, he refused visits because he was tired.

One unusual thing was that Min Ji-hyeon, the girlfriend of Hyeon Jae-yeong, came along with him.

She wore a strange smile toward Se-min and conveyed her congratulations.

Min Ji-hyeon was clearly connected with the power class of the Raider Bureau. She might also be connected with that black aura.

Just as Seol Mu-jin and Cheong-myeong had relayed, did she also know about the research utilizing the power of monsters?

And did she know about that accident where the shelter door was opened?

Se-min wanted to test her, but it seemed he could not win against her with that kind of psychological warfare. Se-min disliked seeing Hyeon Jae-yeong and Min Ji-hyeon smiling and chatting friendly together, so he chased them out early.

And he connected to the Transcendent Network to brace his heart once again.

Although the title of Black Mark hovered around him, he must not be satisfied with it. In the first place, the classification here had little meaning to him.

His goal was not some mark.

It was to become a true transcendent who was not inferior to the members of the Transcendent Network.

Compared to them, the Black Mark was a trivial realm. Even the Unique Mark could not reach them. The creatures called monsters would scatter like dust before the transcendents.

Some treat such power as a dream, but Se-min had met a transcendent directly. They were also living and breathing humans just the same.

The power close to the Martial God was by no means an illusion.

“I want to train.”

Se-min muttered.

He felt as if he had obtained something again from this fight, but he could not operate aura right now. He had not fully healed yet.

Tai Chi Wisdom was coiled up in his dantian, groaning. When he tried to circulate it, it poked his inner walls and grumbled to just rest.

It was truly a long time since he had done nothing and just lay down.

Even when he fought Kesia and was hospitalized, he continued training alone in the hospital room.

This time, he did absolutely nothing and just lay down.

He merely ruminated on past events.

His unfolding of the sword barrier against Black Castle was not an action derived from any calculation. His body simply moved on its own as if it were originally supposed to be that way, and as if he could do it.

Riding the ember ignited inside his heart, Tai Chi Wisdom made a flow, which soon led to the action of holding Lupus and raising aura.

The sword barrier that should have broken under Black Castle’s attacks did not break.

Se-min sensed that he had become stronger at the end of that dangerous crisis, enduring Black Castle’s attacks.

“Rest is also training.”

It was not modern sports science theory; the members of the Transcendent Network said the exact same thing.

So he decided to just lie down without thinking about anything.

He lay stretched out and stared at the television.

Since he was doing nothing, things happened on their own.

Bang Yu-bi: Congrats on Black Mark

Lee Yu-jin: Is your body okay?

Messages flew in side-by-side to his cell phone.

Se-min replied roughly.

Then they continued their words.

Bang Yu-bi: The president is busy, so he told me to visit you instead…

Bang Yu-bi: Do you need anything?

Lee Se-min: I’m going to rest. Don’t come.

Bang Yu-bi: –Suit yourself

Lee Yu-jin also asked.

Lee Yu-jin: I have time left after my schedule…

Lee Yu-jin: Shall I stop by briefly to see your face? Haha

Lee Yu-jin: Since I might not be able to see the precious face of a Black Mark anymore. Hahaha

Lee Se-min: I have to recuperate for the time being, so I’ll rest. Let’s see each other after discharge.

Lee Yu-jin: Ah, yes. Rest comfortably!

Se-min turned off the chat windows of the two and connected to the Transcendent Network.

He checked his member information.

Raider Lee Se-min’s Grade: lv2

Raider Lee Se-min’s Points: 3200P

Tai Chi Wisdom

Xing Yi Quan

Three Talents Sword Art

Cloud-Stepping Technique

Taiqing Sword Art

Explanations of Fist and Foot Techniques

Taiji Diagram Explanations

The promising prospect of the Transcendent Network, Raider Lee Se-min!

Most quests will be too easy now, right?

Hunt a disaster-grade monster!

Reward Points: 5000P

He had come to rise to the Black Mark, but the quest could not be resolved. The next was none other than hunting a disaster-grade monster.

Since it did not seem like Black Castle would be designated as a disaster-grade monster, there was still a long way left until completion.

If he succeeded in promotion this time, Se-min intended to consume points to do something else.

Member grade upgrade.

Currently, he was a Lv2 member. If he became a Lv3 member, he would be able to open a new bulletin board.

The function of that bulletin board was special.